Permanent awesomeness

The more authentic you become, the more genuine in your expression, particularly regarding personal experiences and even self-doubts, the more people can relate to your expression and the safer it makes them feel to express themselves. That expression in turn feeds back on the other person’s spirit, and genuine creative empathy takes place, producing new insights and learnings.

Stephen Covey

I got some interesting feedback last week on the Quote of the Day. A reader marvelled at how brave I was to be vulnerable in front of so many people. It takes courage to reveal that you’re struggling. How much safer it is to pretend that everything is fine – even when you’re telling news that’s clearly not.

Maybe it’s more polite that way. Maybe it’s socially acceptable. In fact, acting as though things are permanently awesome has the double benefit of convincing yourself at the same time. I did this for years. I wanted SO MUCH to be the person I painted for others but (deep down, I always knew) I wasn’t. So, I took a vow of authenticity. There is no end that justifies the means.

See, people who are permanently awesome affect others in a number ways. They give us something to look up to, to aim for, to emulate. They also (inadvertently) make us feel worse when it all falls down for us. We’re left wondering why the hell isn’t my life like theirs? What’s wrong with me? If the day comes that their life falls down too, well! That’s even worse! It’s like finding out Santa Clause isn’t real.

I’m content to be one of the fallen. I’ll call poo sh!t and roses roses. There’s both in the world and they each serve a purpose. The Quote of the Day is a journey and I imagine myself a travel writer of sorts. Maybe I’m misguided… if well intentioned.

Though, last week I also heard feedback saying “sometimes I wonder what the hell you’re on about.”